JP6939152B2 - Tank and liquid consumer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tank capable of replenishing liquid through an inlet and a liquid consuming device including the tank.

A printer having a tank that can be replenished with ink and a recording head that discharges ink supplied from the tank from a nozzle of the recording head and records an image on paper is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). When the ink in the tank is consumed, the user can replenish the ink stored in the bottle from the inlet of the tank.

Some tanks include a storage chamber for storing ink and a flow path through which ink flows. The ink stored in the storage chamber is supplied to the recording head via the flow path.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-51306

If there is a portion of the flow path that has a downward component, the flow path has an inverted U-shaped portion. Then, when air enters the flow path together with the liquid, the air may accumulate at the apex portion of the inverted U shape.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tank capable of reducing the accumulation of air in a flow path.

(1) The present invention is a tank installed in a liquid consuming device having a liquid consuming unit. The tank has a storage chamber for storing a liquid, a flow path through which the liquid flows, an injection port for injecting the liquid into the storage chamber, an inflow port communicating with the storage chamber and the flow path, and the above flow. It is located above the inlet, communicates with the flow path and the outside of the tank, and includes an outlet that allows the liquid to flow out toward the liquid consumption unit. The flow path extends from the inlet to the outlet in a direction having an upward component, or in a direction having an upward component and in a horizontal direction.

According to this configuration, there is no portion of the flow path that has a downward component from the inlet to the outlet. Therefore, when air enters the flow path together with the liquid, it is possible to reduce the accumulation of air in the flow path.

(2) The corner of the flow path has a curved surface.

According to this configuration, the corners of the flow path where air tends to collect are curved. Therefore, when air enters the flow path together with the liquid, it is possible to reduce the accumulation of air in the flow path.

(3) The inflow port is located at one end side of the center of the tank in the first direction along the horizontal direction.

According to this configuration, when the tank is placed so that one end in the first direction is the upper end and the other end in the first direction is the lower end, the inflow port is located at the upper part of the tank. Therefore, in this case, it is possible to reduce the amount of the liquid stored in the storage chamber entering the flow path from the inflow port.

(4) The inflow port is circular.

According to this configuration, since the inflow port is circular, the liquid meniscus is easily maintained at the inflow port. This prevents air from entering the flow path.

(5) The area of the inflow port is smaller than the cross-sectional area orthogonal to the direction in which the liquid flows in the flow path.

According to this configuration, since the area of the inflow port is small, the liquid meniscus is easily maintained at the inflow port. This prevents air from entering the flow path.

(6) The tank includes a first tank and a second tank having a shorter length in the first direction along the horizontal direction than the first tank. The length in the first direction between the inlet of the first tank and the outlet of the first tank is between the inlet of the second tank and the outlet of the second tank. Is longer than the length of the above first direction. The volume of the flow path of the first tank is the same as the volume of the flow path of the second tank.

In the printer, ink is not stored in the tank in the initial state when not in use. Therefore, when the printer in the initial state is used for the first time, the user replenishes the ink stored in the bottle from the inlet of the tank. Further, in order to make the printer ready for image recording, the ink replenished in the tank is supplied to the liquid consuming part through the flow path, so that the space between the storage chamber and the liquid consuming part is filled with ink at the initial stage. Perform the deployment.

At this time, if the volume of the flow path of the first tank and the volume of the flow path of the second tank are different, the following problems occur. That is, when the initial introduction is performed for the first tank and the second tank at the same time, the space between the storage chamber of the larger tank of the first tank and the second tank and the liquid consuming part is filled with ink. In the liquid consumption unit communicating with the storage chamber of the small tank of the first tank and the second tank, the amount of ink that is the difference between the volume of the flow path of the large tank and the volume of the flow path of the small tank is consumed. That is, the amount of ink of the difference is wasted. In order to eliminate this waste of ink, it is conceivable to carry out the initial introduction of the first tank and the second tank in order. However, in this case, the initial introduction takes time.

According to this configuration, the length of the first direction between the inflow port of the first tank and the outflow port of the first tank is the first direction between the inflow port of the second tank and the outflow port of the second tank. Despite being longer than the length of, the volume of the flow path of the first tank and the volume of the flow path of the second tank are the same. Therefore, even when the initial introduction is performed for the first tank and the second tank at the same time, it is possible to prevent the liquid stored in the second tank from being wasted.

(7) The tank includes one first tank and a plurality of second tanks. The one first tank and the plurality of second tanks are arranged side by side in the first direction. The distance between the outlet of the adjacent first tank and the outlet of the second tank in the first direction and the distance between the outlets of the two adjacent second tanks in the first direction are It is the same.

According to this configuration, the distance between the outlets of the adjacent first tank and the outlet of the second tank in the first direction and the distance between the outlets of the two adjacent second tanks in the first direction are the same. be. Therefore, the force acting from the liquid consuming device to each tank can be made uniform while the first tank and the second tank are left in the liquid consuming device.

Further, according to this configuration, the outlet of the first tank is located on the end side of the central portion of the first tank in the first direction. Therefore, the length in the first direction between the inflow port of the first tank and the outflow port of the first tank is larger than the length in the first direction between the inflow port of the second tank and the outflow port of the second tank. Will also be longer.

(8) In the liquid consuming device according to the present invention, the tank, the liquid consuming part, and the tank are connected, one end communicating with the outlet and the other end communicating with the liquid consuming part. It is provided with a connection part.

According to this configuration, the liquid consuming device includes a connected portion, and the tank is connected to the connected portion. With such a configuration, it is possible to configure the liquid consuming device so that it can be connected to a device other than the tank. Other than the tank, for example, a cartridge that can be replaced with a new one when the stored liquid is consumed.

(9) For example, the tank protrudes from the housing of the tank, has an outlet formed at the tip thereof, and includes a protruding portion connected to the connected portion.

(10) The tank includes a first tank and a second tank having a shorter length in the first direction along the horizontal direction than the first tank. The first tank and the second tank are arranged side by side in the first direction. The second tank is arranged closer to the liquid consuming part than the first tank in the first direction.

According to this configuration, when the liquid consuming device is placed so that the tank is on the upper side and the liquid consuming part is on the lower side, the head difference between the tank and the liquid consuming device becomes large, so that the liquid is consumed from the tank set. The risk of liquid flowing out to the part increases. Therefore, in this case, in order to reduce the above risk, it is preferable that the tank set is configured as shown in (3).

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the accumulation of air in the flow path.

1A and 1B are external perspective views of the multifunction device 10. FIG. 1A shows a state in which the cover 70 is in the closed position, and FIG. 1B shows a state in which the cover 70 is in the open position. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the carriage 23 and the tank set 99. FIG. 4A is a front perspective view of the ink tank 100, and FIG. 4B is a rear perspective view of the ink tank 100. FIG. 5A is a front perspective view of the ink tank 100B, and FIG. 5B is a rear perspective view of the ink tank 100B. FIG. 6 is a right side view of the ink tank 100. FIG. 7A is a front perspective view of the tank set 99 and the binding member 120, and FIG. 7B is a rear perspective view of the tank set 99 and the binding member 120. FIG. 8A is a front perspective view of the binding member 120, and FIG. 8B is a rear perspective view of the binding member 120. 9 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along the line AA of FIG. 4 (B), and FIG. 9 (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along the line BB of FIG. 5 (B). FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the range shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 9 (A). FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the range shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 9B. FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of the connecting member 200.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. It goes without saying that the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention. Further, in the following description, the direction from the start point to the end point of the arrow is expressed as the direction, and the traffic on the line connecting the start point and the end point of the arrow is expressed as the direction. In other words, orientation is a component of direction. Further, based on the posture in which the multifunction device 10 and the ink tank 100 installed in the multifunction device 10 are installed on a horizontal surface so that they can be used (the posture shown in FIG. 1 may be referred to as "use posture"). The vertical direction 7 is defined, the front-rear direction 8 is defined with the surface of the multifunction device 10 where the opening 13 is provided as the front surface, and the left-right direction 9 (an example of the first direction) when the multifunction device 10 is viewed from the front is defined. NS. The vertical direction 7, the front-rear direction 8, and the left-right direction 9 are orthogonal to each other. In the present embodiment, in the usage posture, the vertical direction 7 corresponds to the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction 8 and the horizontal direction 9 correspond to the horizontal direction.

[Overall configuration of multifunction device 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 (an example of a liquid consuming device) has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The multifunction device 10 has a printer unit 11 at the bottom, which records an image on paper 12 (see FIG. 2) by an inkjet recording method. The printer unit 11 has a housing 14 having an opening 13 formed in the front wall 14A. As shown in FIG. 2, inside the housing 14, a feeding unit 15, a feeding tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a transport roller unit 54, and a recording unit 24 (an example of a liquid consuming unit) are provided. , The discharge roller portion 55, the platen 42, the tank set 99, the binding member 120 (see FIGS. 1 and 7), and the connecting member 200 (see FIG. 12) are arranged. The multifunction device 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function.

[Feeding tray 20, discharge tray 21]
As shown in FIG. 1, the feed tray 20 is inserted and removed from the multifunction device 10 by the user along the front-rear direction 8 through the opening 13. The opening 13 is located on the front wall 14A of the multifunction device 10 and at the center of the left-right direction 9. The feed tray 20 can support a plurality of stacked sheets 12. The discharge tray 21 is arranged above the feed tray 20. The discharge tray 21 supports the paper 12 discharged by the discharge roller unit 55.

[Feeding section 15]
The feeding unit 15 feeds the paper 12 supported by the feeding tray 20 to the transport path 65. As shown in FIG. 2, the feeding unit 15 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, and a shaft 27. The feeding roller 25 is rotatably supported by the tip of the feeding arm 26. The feed roller 25 is driven and transmitted from a transport motor (not shown) and rotates in a direction of transporting the paper 12 in the transport direction 16. The feeding arm 26 is rotatably supported by a shaft 27 supported by the frame of the printer unit 11. The feeding arm 26 is rotationally urged toward the feeding tray 20 by its own weight or an elastic force due to a spring or the like.

[Transport path 65]
As shown in FIG. 2, the transport path 65 refers to a space in which a part thereof is formed by the outer guide member 18 and the inner guide member 19 facing each other at predetermined intervals inside the printer unit 11. The transport path 65 is a path extending rearward from the rear end of the feed tray 20. The transport path 65 is a path that extends upward at the rear portion of the printer unit 11 and makes a U-turn forward, passes through the space between the recording unit 24 and the platen 42, and reaches the discharge tray 21. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport path 65 between the transport roller portion 54 and the discharge roller portion 55 is provided in the substantially central portion of the multifunction device 10 in the left-right direction 9, and is provided in the front-rear direction 8. It is extending. The transport direction 16 of the paper 12 in the transport path 65 is indicated by the arrow of the alternate long and short dash line in FIG.

[Conveying roller unit 54]
As shown in FIG. 2, the transport roller portion 54 is arranged in the transport path 65. The transport roller unit 54 has a transport roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 that face each other. The transfer roller 60 is driven by a transfer motor. The pinch roller 61 rotates with the rotation of the transport roller 60. The paper 12 is sandwiched between a transfer roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 that are driven and transmitted from a transfer motor and rotate, and is conveyed in the transfer direction 16.

[Discharge roller section 55]
As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge roller portion 55 is arranged downstream of the transport roller portion 54 in the transport path 65 in the transport direction 16. The discharge roller portion 55 has a discharge roller 62 and a spur 63 that face each other. The discharge roller 62 is driven by a transfer motor. The spur 63 rotates with the rotation of the discharge roller 62. The paper 12 is sandwiched between the discharge roller 62 and the spur 63 that are driven and transmitted from the transport motor and rotate, and is transported in the transport direction 16.

[Recording unit 24]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 24 is arranged between the transport roller portion 54 and the discharge roller portion 55 in the transport direction 16. The recording unit 24 is arranged so as to face the platen 42 in the vertical direction 7 with the transport path 65 interposed therebetween. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 23 and a recording head 39.

As shown in FIG. 3, the carriage 23 is supported by guide rails 43 and 44 extending in the left-right direction 9 at positions separated from each other in the front-rear direction 8. The guide rails 43 and 44 are supported by the frame of the printer unit 11. The carriage 23 is connected to a known belt mechanism provided on the guide rail 44. The belt mechanism is driven by a carriage motor (not shown). The carriage 23 connected to the belt mechanism reciprocates along the left-right direction 9 by driving the carriage motor. The moving range of the carriage 23 extends from the transport path 65 to the right and left as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG.

An ink tube 32 extends from the carriage 23. The ink tube 32 connects the tank set 99 and the recording head 39. The ink tube 32 is an ink (liquid) stored in four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, 100M (these may be collectively referred to as "ink tank 100") constituting the tank set 99. An example) is supplied to the recording head 39. Specifically, four ink tubes 32 through which inks of each color (black, magenta, cyan, yellow) are distributed are extended from the ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M, respectively, and the carriage is in a bundled state. It is connected to 23. Each ink tank 100 (ink tank 100B, 100Y, 100C, 100M) is an example of a tank. The ink tank 100B is an example of the first tank. The ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M are examples of the second tank.

As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 23 is equipped with a recording head 39. A plurality of nozzles 40 are arranged on the lower surface of the recording head 39. The tips of the plurality of nozzles 40 are exposed from the lower surface of the recording head 39. The recording head 39 ejects ink from the nozzle 40 as minute ink droplets. In the process of moving the carriage 23, the recording head 39 ejects ink droplets toward the platen 42. As a result, the image is recorded on the paper 12 supported by the platen 42. In addition, this consumes the ink stored in the ink tank 100.

[Platen 42]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the platen 42 is arranged between the transport roller portion 54 and the discharge roller portion 55 in the transport direction 16. The platen 42 is arranged so as to face the recording unit 24 in the vertical direction 7 with the transport path 65 interposed therebetween. The platen 42 supports the paper 12 conveyed by the conveying roller portion 54 from below.

[Cover 70]
As shown in FIG. 1, an opening 22 is formed in the right portion of the front wall 14A of the housing 14. A cover 70 is attached to the housing 14 so as to cover the opening 22. The cover 70 is rotatable between a closed position for closing the opening 22 (the position shown in FIG. 1 (A)) and an open position for opening the opening 22 (the position shown in FIG. 1 (B)). be. An opening 97 is formed in the cover 70. A space is expanded in the portion of the inside of the housing 14 located behind the opening 22. The tank set 99 is arranged in this space.

[Tank set 99]
The tank set 99 stores the ink supplied to the recording head 39. As shown in FIG. 3, the tank set 99 is arranged at the right end of the moving range of the carriage 23 (moving range of the recording unit 24) and to the right of the right end. The tank set 99 includes four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M.

Ink of different colors is stored in each ink tank 100. Black ink is stored in the ink tank 100B, yellow ink is stored in the ink tank 100Y, cyan ink is stored in the ink tank 100C, and magenta ink is stored in the ink tank 100M. The number of ink tanks 100 included in the tank set 99 is not limited to four. Further, the color of the ink is not limited to the above example. The configuration of each ink tank 100 will be described later.

The four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M are arranged side by side in a row along the left-right direction 9. Of the four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M, the ink tank 100B is arranged on the far right. That is, the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M are arranged closer to the recording unit 24 than the ink tank 100B in the left-right direction 9. The arrangement position of the ink tank 100 is not limited to the above.

The ink tank 100B has a larger size than the other ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M, and particularly has a length of 9 in the left-right direction. The ink tank 100B has a larger allowable ink storage amount than the other ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M. The magnitude relationship of the allowable storage amount of the ink tank 100 is not limited to the above.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tank set 99 is stationary inside the housing 14 at the right front portion of the housing 14. In other words, the tank set 99 is fixed to the multifunction device 10 so that it cannot be easily removed from the multifunction device 10. Note that "cannot be easily removed" means, for example, that the user cannot easily remove the tank set 99 from the housing 14 of the multifunction device 10 under normal use conditions, and is skilled. This is intended to exclude the case where the repairer removes the tank set 99 from the housing 14 of the multifunction device 10 for repair. Therefore, it is sufficient that the user cannot easily remove the tank set 99 from the housing 14 of the multifunction device 10 under normal use conditions.

[Ink tank 100]
The configuration of the ink tank 100 will be described below. The ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M have the same configuration. In the following, one of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M will be referred to as an ink tank 100, and its configuration will be described.

Further, since the configuration of the ink tank 100B is similar to the configuration of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M, the portion different from the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M after the explanation of the configuration of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M. The configuration is explained. In this case, even if the shapes of the ink tank 100B and the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M are slightly different, the same reference numerals are given to the configurations having the same functions.

Further, the configuration of the ink outflow passage 114 of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M is different from the configuration of the ink outflow passage 115 of the ink tank 100B. The configurations of the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 will be described later.

In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the multifunction device 10 and the ink tank 100 stationary in the multifunction device 10 are in a usage posture.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ink tank 100 is composed of a housing 140 that forms the outer shape of the ink tank. The housing 140 includes a frame 141 and two films 142 and 143.

As a whole, the frame 141 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the dimensions along the left-right direction 9 are short and the dimensions along the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8 are longer than the dimensions along the left-right direction 9. Further, the dimension of the front-rear direction 8 is longer than the dimension of the vertical direction 7.

The frame 141 is made of a resin having a translucency such that the ink in the ink chamber 111 can be visually recognized from the outside of the ink tank 100. The frame 141 is made of polypropylene, for example. The frame 141 is integrally molded, for example, by injection molding a resin material. The rigidity of the frame 141 is higher than that of the films 142 and 143.

The frame 141 may be made of a material other than resin. The frame 141 may be formed by combining a plurality of members instead of being integrally molded.

As shown in FIG. 4, the frame 141 includes a front wall 101, a left wall 103, an upper wall 104, a lower wall 105, a rear wall 110, and an inner wall 107.

The front wall 101 is composed of a standing wall 102 and a sloping wall 106. The vertical wall 102 extends in the vertical direction 7 and the horizontal direction 9. The inclined wall 106 is a wall connecting the upper end of the vertical wall 102 and the front end of the upper wall 104. The inclined wall 106 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8.

The front surface 102A of the vertical wall 102 and the front surface 106A of the inclined wall 106 in each ink tank 100, that is, the front surface of the frame 141 of each ink tank 100, passes through the opening 97 of the cover 70 and the opening 22 of the housing 14, and the multifunction device 10 It is exposed to the outside of. As a result, the front surface of the frame 141 of each ink tank 100 can be visually recognized from the front of the multifunction device 10. Therefore, the user can check the remaining amount of ink stored in each ink tank 100.

The left wall 103 is a wall extending rearward from the left end of the front wall 101. The upper end of the left wall 103 is connected to the front portion of the upper wall 104. The lower end of the left wall 103 is connected to the front portion of the lower wall 105.

The upper wall 104 extends rearward from the upper end of the front wall 101 (the rear end of the inclined wall 106). The front portion of the upper wall 104 is connected to the upper end of the left wall 103.

The lower wall 105 is a wall extending rearward from the lower end of the front wall 101. The lower wall 105 is formed downward away from the upper wall 104.

A plurality of inner walls 107 are arranged in a space surrounded by a front wall 101, a left wall 103, an upper wall 104, a lower wall 105, and a rear wall 110.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the right side of the frame 141 is open. The right surface of the frame 141 is sealed by welding the film 142 to the right surfaces of the front wall 101, the lower wall 105, the rear wall 110, the upper wall 104, and the inner wall 107.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the rear portion of the left surface of the frame 141 is open. The left surface of the frame 141 is sealed by welding the film 143 to the left surfaces of the lower wall 105, the rear wall 110, the upper wall 104, and the inner wall 107.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, a convex portion 108 is formed on the upper wall 104. As shown in FIG. 6, a convex portion 109 is formed on the lower wall 105.

[Ink chamber 111]
As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 140 has an ink chamber 111 inside. The ink chamber 111 is an internal space of the ink tank 100, and ink is stored in the ink chamber 111. The ink chambers 111 of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M are examples of storage chambers.

The ink chamber 111 is partitioned by a front wall 101, a left wall 103, an upper wall 104, a lower wall 105, a rear wall 110, an inner wall 107, a film 142, and a film 143.

Specifically, the ink chamber 111 is partitioned on the front side by the rear surface of the front wall 101. Further, the ink chamber 111 is partitioned on the rear side by the front surface of the rear wall 110. Further, the ink chamber 111 is partitioned on the upper side by the lower surface of the upper wall 104. Further, the ink chamber 111 is partitioned on the lower side by the upper surface of the lower wall 105. Further, the ink chamber 111 is partitioned on the right side by the left side of the film 142. Further, the ink chamber 111 is partitioned on the left side by the right side of the left wall 103 and the right side of the film 143. The ink chamber 111 is divided into a plurality of parts by the inner wall 107.

In the present embodiment, the right side of the ink chamber 111 is partitioned by a film (film 142), and the left side of the ink chamber 111 is partitioned by a film (film 143) and a resin (left wall 103). However, the right side of the ink chamber 111 may be partitioned by a film and a resin, and the left side of the ink chamber 111 may be partitioned by a film. Further, each of the right side and the left side of the ink chamber 111 may be partitioned by a film and a resin.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the housing 140 has an atmospheric passage 170. The atmospheric communication passage 170 is a communication passage for communicating the ink chamber 111 and the outside of the ink tank 100. In other words, the atmospheric communication passage 170 is a communication passage for opening the ink chamber 111 to the atmosphere.

One end of the atmospheric communication passage 170 communicates with the ink chamber 111 through openings 144 and 145. The other end of the atmospheric communication passage 170 communicates with the atmospheric opening 187 formed in the upper wall 104.

As shown in FIG. 6, a semipermeable membrane 183 is attached between one end and the other end of the atmospheric passage 170 so as to block the atmospheric passage 170. The semipermeable membrane 183 is a porous membrane having minute pores that block the passage of ink and allow the passage of gas.

A supply port 112 for injecting ink into the ink chamber 111 is formed on the inclined wall 106 of each ink tank 100. The supply port 112 penetrates the inclined wall 106 in the thickness direction and communicates the ink chamber 111 with the outside of the ink tank 100. The supply ports 112 formed in the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M are examples of injection ports.

The inclined wall 106 and the supply port 112 are exposed to the outside of the multifunction device 10 through the opening 22 by locating the cover 70 in the open position. When the ink tank 100 is in the use posture, ink is injected into the ink chamber 111 through the supply port 112.

[Ink tank 100B]
Hereinafter, the configuration of the ink tank 100B will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the ink tank 100B is longer in the left-right direction 9 than the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M (see FIG. 4).

Hereinafter, the ink tank 100B will be described with respect to parts different from the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M. The parts of the ink tank 100B having the same configurations as the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M are designated by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 4, and the description thereof will be omitted. Further, the difference between the configuration of the predetermined portion in the ink tank 100B and the configuration of the portion corresponding to the predetermined portion of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M is that the configuration of the predetermined portion in the ink tank 100B is 9 in the left-right direction. In the case of only the point of being long, the portion corresponding to the predetermined portion in the ink tank 100B is designated by the same reference reference numeral as in FIG. 4, and the description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the ink tank 100B does not include a left wall 103 (see FIG. 4B) but a right wall 159. The right wall 159 is a wall extending rearward from the right end of the front wall 101. The upper end of the right wall 159 is connected to the front portion of the upper wall 104. The lower end of the right wall 159 is connected to the front portion of the lower wall 105.

The ink tank 100B includes an ink chamber 111 like the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M. The ink chamber 111 of the ink tank 100B is partitioned by a front wall 101, a right wall 159, an upper wall 104, a lower wall 105, a rear wall 110, an inner wall 107, a film 142, and a film 143. The ink chamber 111 of the ink tank 100B is an example of a storage chamber.

The ink tank 100B includes a supply port 112 like the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M. The supply port 112 formed in the ink tank 100B is an example of an injection port.

[Ink outflow paths 114, 115]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9A, the housing 140 of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M includes an ink outflow path 114 (an example of a flow path) through which ink flows. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9B, the housing 140 of the ink tank 100B includes an ink outflow path 115 (an example of a flow path) through which ink flows. The ink outflow paths 114 and 115 are communication passages for discharging the ink stored in the ink chamber 111 to the outside of the ink tank 100.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the ink outflow path 114 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, one end of the ink outflow passage 114 is an opening 150 (an example of an inflow port) formed at the boundary between the lower wall 105 and the rear wall 110. The ink outflow path 114 communicates with the ink chamber 111 through the opening 150. As shown in FIG. 9A, the opening 150 is formed on the right side (an example of one end side) of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M with respect to the center of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M in the left-right direction 9. In the present embodiment, the opening 150 is formed at the right end of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M. As shown in FIG. 6, the entire circumference of the opening 150 is partitioned by an inner wall 155 (an example of a wall) which is a part of the inner wall 107. The opening 150 is circular.

The other end of the ink outflow path 114 is an opening 156 (an example of an outlet) formed at the tip of the protrusion 157. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the projecting portion 157 projects rearward from the rear surface 110A of the rear wall 110. The protrusion 157 is hollow. As shown in FIGS. 4B and 9A, the protruding portion 157 is formed in the central portion of each of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M in the left-right direction 9. That is, the opening 156 is formed in the central portion of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M in the left-right direction 9. As shown in FIG. 6, the opening 156 is located above the opening 150. The opening 156 communicates the ink outflow path 114 with the outside of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the projecting portion 160 projects rearward from the rear surface 110A of the outer wall 110. The protrusion 160 covers the protrusion 157 in the circumferential direction. The protruding portion 160 projects to the rear of the protruding portion 157.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9A, the ink outflow path 114 is composed of a first flow path 171 and a second flow path 172.

The first flow path 171 is partitioned by a rear wall 110, a lower wall 105, an inner wall 107, and a film 139. The rear wall 110 partitions the rear side of the first flow path 171. The lower wall 105 partitions the lower side of the first flow path 171. The inner wall 107 partitions the front side, the right side, and the upper side of the first flow path 171. The film 139 defines the left side of the first flow path 171 by being welded to the frame 141. That is, a part of the ink outflow path 114 is partitioned by the wall of the frame 141 of the housing 140 of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M.

The cross section of the first flow path 171 orthogonal to the direction in which the ink flows is a quadrangle. The area of the cross section is larger than the area of the opening 150. As shown in FIG. 10, the apex portion of the square of the first flow path 171, that is, the corner portion has a curved surface. In this embodiment, the corners are chamfered. The chamfered portion is indicated by reference numeral 190 in FIG. In the present embodiment, the corners are rounded and chamfered, but the corners may be other chamfered (for example, 45 degree chamfer).

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9A, one end of the first flow path 171 communicates with the ink chamber 111 through the opening 150. The other end of the first flow path 171 communicates with the second flow path 172 via an opening 153.

As shown in FIG. 10, the first flow path 171 is composed of three horizontal flow paths 171A, 171B, 171C and two vertical DC paths 171D, 171E. The horizontal flow paths 171A, 171B, and 171C extend in the left-right direction 9 (horizontal direction). The vertical DC paths 171D and 171E extend in the vertical direction 7 (the direction having the upward component). The first flow path 171 extends from the opening 150 to the opening 153 in the order of the horizontal flow path 171A, the vertical flow path 171D, the horizontal flow path 171B, the vertical flow path 171E, and the horizontal flow path 171C. The first flow path 171 is a flow path having a substantially S shape when viewed from the rear.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second flow path 172 is an internal space of the protrusion 157. The cross section of the second flow path 172 orthogonal to the direction in which the ink flows is circular. The second flow path 172 extends in the front-rear direction 8 (horizontal direction). The front end of the second flow path 172 circulates with the first flow path 171 through the opening 153. The rear end of the second flow path 172 communicates with the outside of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M through the opening 156.

With the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M stationary inside the housing 14, the protrusion 157 is connected to the ink needle 223 (see FIG. 12) of the connecting member 200 via a tube (not shown).

From the above, the ink outflow path 114 extends from the opening 150 toward the opening 156 in the direction having the upward component and in the horizontal direction. In other words, the ink outflow path 114 extends from the opening 150 to the opening 156 without having a downward component.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the ink outflow path 115 will be described. In the following description of the ink outflow path 115, a portion different from the configuration of the ink outflow path 114 will be described. On the other hand, the description of the ink outflow path 115 with respect to the configuration of the ink outflow path 114 and the portion having the same configuration will be omitted or simplified. In this case, even if the shapes of the ink outflow passage 115 and the ink outflow passage 114 are slightly different, the same reference numerals are given to the configurations having the same functions.

One end of the ink outflow passage 115 communicates with the ink chamber 111 through an opening 150 (an example of an inflow port), and the other end of the ink outflow passage 115 communicates with an opening 156 (an example of an outflow port) formed at the tip of a protrusion 157. It communicates with the outside of the ink tank 100B through the ink tank 100B. The opening 150 is formed on the right side (an example of one end side) of the center of the ink tank 100B in the left-right direction 9. In the present embodiment, the opening 150 is formed at the right end of the ink tank 100B. Similar to the openings 150 of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M, the opening 150 of the ink tank 100B is circular because its entire circumference is partitioned by an inner wall 155 (an example of a wall).

The protruding portion 157 of the ink tank 100B protrudes rearward from the rear surface 110A of the rear wall 110. As shown in FIGS. 5B and 9B, the protruding portion 157 of the ink tank 100B is on the left side of the central portion of the ink tank 100B (in other words, the opening 150 with respect to the central portion) in the left-right direction 9. Is formed on the opposite side of). That is, the opening 156 is formed on the left side of the central portion of the ink tank 100B in the left-right direction 9. Further, as described above, in the present embodiment, the ink tank 100B is arranged on the rightmost side among the four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M. As a result, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7B, the distance L1 between the openings 156 of the adjacent ink tanks 100B and the openings 156 of the ink tank 100Y in the left-right direction 9 is the two adjacent ink tanks. It is equal to the distance L2 in the left-right direction 9 of 100Y and 100C, and the distance L2 in the left-right direction 9 of two adjacent ink tanks 100C and 100M.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9B, the ink outflow path 115 is composed of a first flow path 181 and a second flow path 182.

The first flow path 181 is partitioned by a rear wall 110, a lower wall 105, an inner wall 107, and a film 139. The cross section of the first flow path 181 orthogonal to the direction in which the ink flows is a quadrangle. The area of the cross section is larger than the area of the opening 150. The apex portion of the square of the first flow path 181, that is, the corner portion has a curved surface. In this embodiment, the corners are chamfered. The chamfered portion is indicated by reference numeral 190 in FIG. In the present embodiment, the corners are rounded and chamfered, but the corners may be other chamfered (for example, 45 degree chamfer).

As shown in FIG. 11, the first flow path 181 is composed of two horizontal flow paths 181A and 181B and one vertical DC path 181C. The horizontal flow paths 181A and 181B extend in the left-right direction 9. The vertical DC path 171C extends in the vertical direction 7. The first flow path 171 extends from the opening 150 to the opening 153 in the order of the horizontal flow path 171A, the vertical DC path 171C, and the horizontal flow path 171B. The first flow path 171 is a U-shaped flow path that is substantially lateral when viewed from the rear.

The second flow path 182 has the same configuration as the second flow path 172. With the ink tank 100B stationary inside the housing 14, the protrusion 157 is connected to the ink needle 223 (see FIG. 12) of the connecting member 200 via a tube (not shown).

From the above, the ink outflow path 115 extends from the opening 150 to the opening 156 in the direction having the upward component and in the horizontal direction, similarly to the ink outflow path 114. In other words, the ink outflow path 115 extends downward from the opening 150 to the opening 156 without any component.

The volume of the ink outflow path 115 is equal to the volume of the ink outflow path 114. It will be described in detail below. The cross-sectional area orthogonal to the ink flowing direction in the first flow path 181 is the same as the cross-sectional area orthogonal to the ink flowing direction in the first flow path 171. Further, the cross-sectional area orthogonal to the ink flowing direction in the second flow path 182 is the same as the cross-sectional area orthogonal to the ink flowing direction in the second flow path 172. Further, as described above, the ink tank 100B has a longer length in the left-right direction 9 than the other ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M (see FIG. 9). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the length of the horizontal flow path 181A of the first flow path 181 in the left-right direction 9 is the length of each of the horizontal flow paths 171A, 171B, and 171C of the first flow path 171 in the left-right direction 9. Longer than the length. However, as shown in FIG. 10, the first flow path 171 has three horizontal flow paths (horizontal flow paths 171A, 171B, 171C), whereas the second flow path 182 has FIG. 11 As shown in, there are only two horizontal flow paths (horizontal flow paths 181A and 181B). Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the first flow path 171 has two vertical DC paths (lead DC paths 171D and 171E), whereas the first flow path 181 is shown in FIG. As a result, there is only one plumb line (plumb line 181C). As a result, although the length of the ink tank 100B in the left-right direction 9 is longer than the length of the other ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M in the left-right direction 9, the volume of the ink outflow path 115 is changed to the volume of the ink outflow path 114. Can be equal to. The above-mentioned "equal" is a concept that includes not only being completely the same but also being substantially equal.

[Binding member 120]
As shown in FIG. 7, the bundling member 120 holds four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M in a line along the left-right direction 9.

As shown in FIG. 8, the binding member 120 includes a front wall 71, a right wall 72, a left wall 73, an upper wall 74, a lower wall 75, and a partition wall 92.

The front wall 71 is composed of a standing wall 76 and a sloping wall 77. The vertical wall 76 extends in the vertical direction 7 and the horizontal direction 9. The inclined wall 77 is a wall connecting the upper end of the standing wall 76 and the front end of the upper wall 74. The inclined wall 77 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8.

The right wall 72 is a wall extending rearward from the right end of the front wall 71. The left wall 73 is a wall extending rearward from the left end of the front wall 71. The upper wall 74 is a wall extending rearward from the upper end of the front wall 71 (specifically, the upper end of the inclined wall 77). The right end of the upper wall 74 is connected to the upper end of the right wall 72. The left end of the upper wall 74 is connected to the upper end of the left wall 73. The lower wall 75 is a wall extending rearward from the lower end of the front wall 71. The right end of the lower wall 75 is connected to the lower end of the right wall 72. The left end of the lower wall 75 is connected to the lower end of the left wall 73.

The binding member 120 is fixed and supported in the housing 14 (see FIG. 1) of the printer unit 11 while holding the ink tank 100 (the state shown in FIG. 7).

As shown in FIG. 8B, the front wall 71, the right wall 72, the left wall 73, the upper wall 74, and the lower wall 75 form an internal space 127 of the binding member 120. As shown in FIG. 7, four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M are inserted from the rear toward the internal space 127. As a result, the front parts of the four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M occupy the internal space 127.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the internal space 127 is divided into the number of ink tanks 100 (4) by the partition wall 92. In the present embodiment, the internal space 127 is divided into four internal spaces 127B, 127Y, 127C, 127M corresponding to each of the four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M by the partition wall 92.

A plurality of openings 79 are formed at the rear portion of the upper wall 74. Each opening 79 corresponds to four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, 100M. That is, in this embodiment, four openings 79 are formed. The opening 79 is formed at a position corresponding to the convex portion 108 (see FIGS. 4 to 6) of the ink tank 100 in a state where the ink tank 100 is inserted into the internal space 127.

A plurality of openings 80 are formed at the rear portion of the lower wall 75. Each opening 80 corresponds to four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M. That is, in this embodiment, four openings 80 are formed. The opening 80 is formed at a position corresponding to the convex portion 109 (see FIG. 6) of the ink tank 100 when the ink tank 100 is inserted into the internal space 127.

In the process of inserting the ink tank 100 into the internal space 127, the convex portion 108 comes into contact with the surface 74A of the upper wall 74 on the internal space 127 side, is pressed, and bends downward. Further, the convex portion 109 comes into contact with the surface 75A on the internal space 127 side of the lower wall 75, is pressed, and bends upward. When the ink tank 100 is further inserted, the convex portion 108 is in a state of being inserted into the opening 79, and the convex portion 109 is in a state of being inserted into the opening 80. As a result, the bending of the convex portions 108 and 109 is eliminated. In this state, the convex portion 108 is engaged with the opening 79. Further, in this state, the convex portion 109 is engaged with the opening 80. As a result, the ink tank 100 is positioned in the binding member 120.

As described above, as shown in FIG. 7, the binding member 120 holds the four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M in a line in a line along the left-right direction 9. The arrangement order of the ink tanks 100 is the ink tank 100B, the ink tank 100Y, the ink tank 100C, and the ink tank 100M in order from the right. The binding member 120 covers the front portion of the ink tank 100 while holding the ink tank 100.

As shown in FIG. 8A, a plurality of openings 81 are formed in the vertical wall 76 of the front wall 71 of the binding member 120. The openings 81 are formed at intervals of 9 in the left-right direction. Each opening 81 corresponds to four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M. That is, in this embodiment, four openings 81 are formed.

As shown in FIG. 7A, in a state where the binding member 120 holds each ink tank 100, the vertical wall 102 of the front wall 101 of each ink tank 100 is exposed to the outside of the binding member 120 through the opening 81. It is possible. Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, when the binding member 120 holds each ink tank 100 and the cover 70 is in the closed position, the standing wall 102 of each ink tank 100 opens the binding member 120. It can be exposed to the outside of the printer unit 11 through the opening 97 of the 81 and the cover 70. As a result, the user can check the remaining amount of ink stored in each ink tank 100 from the outside.

As shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of openings 82 are formed in the inclined wall 77 of the front wall 71 of the binding member 120. The openings 82 are formed at intervals of 9 in the left-right direction. Each opening 82 corresponds to four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M. That is, in this embodiment, four openings 82 are formed.

As shown in FIG. 7A, in a state where the binding member 120 holds each ink tank 100, the supply port 112 of each ink tank 100 can be exposed to the outside of the binding member 120 through the opening 82. ..

As shown in FIG. 7, a cap 113 is attached to the binding member 120 corresponding to the supply port 112 of each ink tank 100. In this embodiment, four caps 113 are attached. The cap 113 is molded from an elastically deformable material such as rubber or elastomer. As a result, the cap 113 can be attached to and detached from the supply port 112 while maintaining the state of being attached to the binding member 120.

Although not shown, the cap 113 tightly seals the supply port 112 by bringing the tip of the cap 113 into close contact with the wall surface that partitions the peripheral edge of the supply port 112. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7A, the supply port 112 is opened when the tip end portion of the cap 113 is separated from the supply port 112. This makes it possible to inject ink into the ink chamber 111 through the supply port 112.

[Connecting member 200]
As shown in FIG. 12, the connecting member 200 is equipped with four ink tanks 100. The connecting member 200 holds the four ink tanks 100 in a line from the rear in the front-rear direction 8 along the left-right direction 9. The connecting member 200 includes a support main body 201 and a connecting portion 202. The connecting member 200 is configured by combining the connecting portion 202 from the rear of the support main body 201.

The support main body 201 is fixed and supported in the housing 14 of the printer unit 11 by a known means such as fitting.

Four grooves 210 extending along the front-rear direction 8 are formed on the upper surface of the support main body 201. The front end of the groove 210 is open forward. Each groove 210 serves as a guide that allows the four ink tanks 100 integrally held by the binding member 120 to slide in the front-rear direction 8 while positioning the four ink tanks 100 in the left-right direction 9 when mounted on the connecting member 200. Function.

Above the groove 210 of the support main body 201, rods 217 projecting forward are provided. The rear wall 110 of each ink tank 100 comes into contact with the front end of each rod 217, thereby determining the position behind each ink tank 100.

The connecting portion 202 has a connecting plate 221, a guide cylinder 222, an ink needle 223, an ink flow path 224, and a joint 225. The connecting plate 221 is fixed to the support main body 201 by screws (not shown).

The guide cylinder 222 has a cylindrical shape that protrudes forward from the connecting plate 221. The guide cylinder 222 is located above the groove 210. Four guide cylinders 222 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction 9 corresponding to each groove 210. The guide cylinder 222 can accommodate the protruding portion 160 of the ink tank 100 in its internal space. When the ink needle 223 is inserted into the protrusion 157, the guide cylinder 222 accommodates the protrusion 160 to position the ink needle 223 and the protrusion 157.

In the internal space of the guide cylinder 222, an ink needle 223 that is a coaxial line with the guide cylinder 222 is arranged. The ink needle 223 is a tube extending forward from the connecting plate 221. The front end (tip), which is one end of the ink needle 223, is inserted into the protruding portion 157 of the ink tank 100 and connected to the protruding portion 157. As a result, the front end of the ink needle 223 communicates with the opening 156. As a result, the internal space of the ink needle 223 and the ink chamber 111 of the ink tank 100 communicate with each other. The ink needle 223 is an example of a connected portion.

An ink flow path 224 is formed on the rear surface of the connecting plate 221. The ink flow path 224 is configured as an independent flow path corresponding to each ink needle 223. The ink flow path 224 is formed by sealing the opening surface (rear surface) of the groove formed on the rear surface of the connecting plate 221 with a film (not shown). Each ink flow path 224 is continuous with the opening at the rear end of each ink needle 223. Further, each ink flow path 224 is continuous with each joint 225 formed on the upper portion of the connecting plate 221. An ink tube 32 is connected to each joint 225.

From the above, the rear end (base end), which is the other end of the ink needle 223, communicates with the recording unit 24 via the ink flow path 224, the joint 225, and the ink tube 32. As a result, the ink stored in the ink chamber 111 of the ink tank 100 flows out toward the recording unit 24 via the ink outflow path 114, the ink needle 223, the ink flow path 224, the joint 225, and the ink tube 32. ..

[Action and effect of the above embodiment]
According to the above embodiment, there is no portion of the ink outflow passages 114 and 115 having a downward component from the opening 150 toward the opening 156. Therefore, when air enters the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 together with the ink, it is possible to reduce the accumulation of air in the ink outflow paths 114 and 115.

Further, according to the above embodiment, the corners of the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 where air tends to collect are provided with curved surfaces. Therefore, when air enters the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 together with the ink, it is possible to reduce the accumulation of air in the ink outflow paths 114 and 115.

Further, according to the above embodiment, when the ink tank 100 is placed so that the right end in the use posture is the upper end and the left end in the use posture is the lower end, the opening 150 is located at the upper part of the ink tank 100. Therefore, in this case, it is possible to reduce the amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 111 entering the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 from the opening 150.

Further, according to the above embodiment, since the opening 150 is circular, the meniscus of the ink is easily maintained in the opening 150. As a result, it is possible to prevent air from entering the ink outflow paths 114 and 115.

Further, according to the above embodiment, since the area of the opening 150 is small, the meniscus of the ink is easily maintained in the opening 150. As a result, it is possible to prevent air from entering the ink outflow paths 114 and 115.

Further, in the multifunction device 10, ink is not stored in the ink tank 100 in the initial state when not in use. Therefore, when the multifunction device 10 in the initial state is used for the first time, the user replenishes the ink stored in the bottle from the supply port 112 of the ink tank 100. Further, in order to make the multifunction device 10 ready for image recording, the ink replenished in the ink tank 100 is supplied to the recording unit 24 via the ink outflow paths 114 and 115, so that the ink chamber 111 and the recording unit are available. Perform an initial introduction that fills the space between 24 and 24 with ink.

At this time, if the volume of the ink outflow path 115 of the ink tank 100B and the volume of the ink outflow path 114 of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M are different, the following problems occur. That is, when the initial introduction is simultaneously executed for the ink tank 100B and the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M, the ink chamber 111 and the recording unit 24 of the ink tank 100B and the ink tank 100Y, 100C, 100M, which are larger than the ink tank 100B, The volume of the ink outflow path 115 in the recording unit 24 communicating with the ink chambers 111 of the ink tanks 100B and the smaller ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M among the ink tanks 100B and the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M until the space is filled with ink. The amount of ink that is the difference between the ink and the volume of the ink outflow path 114 is consumed. That is, the amount of ink of the difference is wasted. In order to eliminate this waste of ink, it is conceivable to execute the initial introduction of the ink tank 100B and the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M in order. However, in this case, the initial introduction takes time.

According to the present embodiment, the lengths of 9 in the left-right direction between the opening 150 of the ink tank 100B and the opening 156 of the ink tank 100B are the openings 150 of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M and the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M. The volume of the ink outflow passage 115 of the ink tank 100B and the volume of the ink outflow passage 114 of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M are the same, although they are longer than the length of the ink outflow passage 115 in the left-right direction 9 with the opening 156. Therefore, at the time of initial introduction, when the ink stored in each ink tank 100B, 100Y, 100C, 100M is sucked into the recording unit 24 by a common pump, the ink of each ink tank 100B, 100Y, 100C, 100M The amount used can be uniform and minimized. That is, even when the initial introduction is performed for the ink tanks 100B and the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M at the same time, it is possible to prevent the ink stored in the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M from being wasted.

Further, according to the above embodiment, the distance L1 between the openings 156 of the adjacent ink tanks 100B and the openings 156 of the ink tanks 100Y in the left-right direction 9 and the left-right directions of the openings 156 of the two adjacent ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M The interval L2 of 9 is the same. Therefore, in a state where the ink tank 100B and the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M are left in the multifunction device 10, the force acting from the multifunction device 10 on each ink tank 100 can be made uniform.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the opening 156 of the ink tank 100B is located on the end side of the ink tank 100B in the left-right direction 9 with respect to the central portion. Therefore, the length 9 in the left-right direction between the opening 150 of the ink tank 100B and the opening 156 of the ink tank 100B is the same as the opening 150 of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M and the opening 156 of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M. It is longer than the length of 9 in the left-right direction between them.

Further, according to the above embodiment, the multifunction device 10 includes an ink needle 223, and the ink tank 100 is connected to the ink needle 223 via a tube (not shown). With such a configuration, the multifunction device 10 can be configured to be connectable to other than the ink tank 100. Examples of the ink tank 100 other than the ink tank 100 include a cartridge that can be replaced with a new one when the stored ink is consumed.

Further, according to the above embodiment, when the multifunction device 10 is placed so that the ink tank 100 is on the upper side and the recording unit 24 is on the lower side, the head difference between the ink tank 100 and the multifunction device 10 becomes large. Therefore, the risk of ink leaking from the tank set 99 to the recording unit 24 increases. However, since the opening 150 is configured to be located on the right side of the center of the ink tank 100 in the left-right direction 9 as in the above embodiment, the above risk can be reduced.

[Modification example]
In the above embodiment, the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 extend from the opening 150 toward the opening 156 in the direction having the upward component and in the horizontal direction. However, the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 may extend from the opening 150 toward the opening 156 only in the direction having the upward component without extending in the horizontal direction. Specifically, the ink outflow path 114 may extend from the opening 150 toward the opening 156 in at least one direction upward or diagonally upward.

In the above embodiment, the first flow path 171 of the ink outflow path 114 and the first flow path 181 of the ink outflow path 115 extend in the horizontal direction 9 and the vertical direction 7. However, the horizontal direction is not limited to the left-right direction 9. For example, the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 may extend in the front-rear direction 8 as the horizontal direction. Of course, the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 may extend in both the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 in the horizontal direction.

In the above embodiment, the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 extend from the opening 150 toward the opening 153 without having a downward component. However, the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 may have a portion extending from the opening 150 toward the opening 153 in a direction having a downward component.

In the above embodiment, the projecting portions 157 and 160 project rearward from the rear surface 110A of the rear wall 110, but the projecting directions of the projecting portions 157 and 160 are not limited to the rear direction. For example, the projecting portions 157 and 160 may project downward from the lower surface of the lower wall 105. In this case, the second flow path 172 of the ink outflow path 114 and the second flow path 182 of the ink outflow path 114 extend along the vertical direction 7.

In the above embodiment, all the paths of the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 are located below the upper end of the opening 156, but some of the paths of the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 are located above the upper end of the opening 156. It may be located. For example, the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 may extend from the opening 150 toward the opening 156, once above the upper end of the opening 156, and then downward so as to reach the opening 156.

In the above embodiment, the corners of the first flow path 171 of the ink outflow path 114 and the corners of the first flow path 181 of the ink outflow path 115 are chamfered, but the corners are not chamfered. good. Further, of the plurality of corners existing in the ink outflow paths 114 and 115, only a part of them may be chamfered.

In the above embodiment, the opening 150 is formed at the right end portion of the ink tank 100, but may be formed at the central portion or the left end portion of the ink tank 100 in the left-right direction 9, for example, other than the right end portion.

In the above embodiment, the openings 156 of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M are formed in the central portion of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M in the left-right direction 9. Further, the opening 156 of the ink tank 100B was formed in the left-right direction 9 opposite to the opening 150 with respect to the central portion of the ink tank 100B. However, the position of the opening 156 is not limited to the above-mentioned position. For example, contrary to the above embodiment, the opening 156 of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M is located opposite to the opening 150 with respect to the central portion of the ink tanks 100Y, 100C, 100M, and the opening 156 of the ink tank 100B is located. , The ink tank 100B may be located at the center of the ink tank 100B in the left-right direction 9.

In the above embodiment, the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 are partitioned by the wall of the frame 141 of the housing 140 and the film 139. That is, a part of the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 was partitioned by the wall of the frame 141 of the housing 140. However, all of the ink outflow paths 114 and 115 may be partitioned by the wall of the frame 141 of the housing 140.

In the above embodiment, the entire circumference of the opening 150 is partitioned by the inner wall 107. However, for example, only a part of the circumference of the opening 150 may be partitioned by the inner wall 107, and the rest of the circumference of the opening 150 may be partitioned by the film.

In the above embodiment, the opening 150 is circular, but it may have a shape other than circular.

In the above embodiment, in the first flow path 171 of the ink outflow path 114 and the first flow path 181 of the ink outflow path 115, the cross section orthogonal to the direction in which the ink flows is a quadrangle. However, the cross section may be circular, for example, other than quadrangular. Further, in the second flow path 172 of the ink outflow path 114 and the second flow path 182 of the ink outflow path 115, the cross section orthogonal to the direction in which the ink flows was circular. However, the cross section may be a quadrangle, for example, other than a circle.

In the above embodiment, in the first flow path 171 of the ink outflow path 114 and the first flow path 181 of the ink outflow path 115, the area of the cross section orthogonal to the direction in which the ink flows is larger than the area of the opening 150. However, the area of the cross section may be less than or equal to the area of the opening 150.

The plurality of ink tanks 100 included in the tank set 99 may be arranged side by side in the front-rear direction 8, for example, other than the left-right direction 9. Further, the plurality of ink tanks 100 included in the tank set 99 may not be arranged side by side.

In the above embodiment, the distance L1 between the openings 156 of the adjacent ink tanks 100B and the openings 156 of the ink tank 100Y in the left-right direction 9 is the distance L2 between the two adjacent ink tanks 100Y and 100C in the left-right direction 9 and adjacent to each other. The distance between the two ink tanks 100C and 100M in the left-right direction 9 was equal to L2. However, the interval L1 and the interval L2 may have different lengths. Further, the distance between the two adjacent ink tanks 100Y and 100C in the left-right direction 9 may be different from the distance between the two adjacent ink tanks 100C and 100M in the left-right direction 9.

In the above embodiment, by connecting the ink tank 100 to the ink needle 223, ink can be distributed between the ink tank 100 and the recording unit 24, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the ink tank 100 may not include protrusions 157 and 160, and the ink tube 32 may be inserted directly into the opening 153.

In the above embodiment, ink has been described as an example of a liquid, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, instead of the ink, a pretreatment liquid that is ejected to the recording paper prior to the ink during printing, water that is sprayed in the vicinity of the nozzle 40 of the recording head 39 to prevent the nozzle 40 of the recording head 39 from drying, and the like. However, it may be an example of a liquid.

100 ... Ink tank (tank)
111 ... Ink chamber (storage chamber)
112 ... Supply port (injection port)
114 ... Ink outflow path (flow path)
115 ... Ink outflow path (flow path)
150 ... Opening (inflow)
156 ... Aperture (outlet)

Claims (9)

A tank that is installed in a liquid consumption device that has a liquid consumption unit.
The above tank
A storage chamber that stores liquid between the front and rear walls,
The flow path through which the liquid flows and
An inlet for injecting liquid into the storage chamber and
An inflow port communicating with the storage chamber and the flow path,
It is located above the inflow port, communicates with the flow path and the outside of the tank, and has an outflow port that allows the liquid to flow out toward the liquid consumption unit.
The flow path extends from the inlet to the outlet in a direction having an upward component, or in a direction having an upward component and in a horizontal direction .
The tank includes a first tank and a second tank having a shorter length along the left-right direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the front-rear direction than the first tank.
The left-right length between the inlet of the first tank and the outlet of the first tank is between the inlet of the second tank and the outlet of the second tank. Longer than the above horizontal length,
The volume of the flow path of the first tank is the same as the volume of the flow path of the second tank. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the corner portion of the flow path has a curved surface. Said inlet is in the left-right direction, the tank according to claim 1 or 2 is located at one side of the lateral direction of the center of the tank. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inflow port is circular. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the area of the inflow port is smaller than the cross-sectional area orthogonal to the direction in which the liquid flows in the flow path. The tank includes one first tank and a plurality of second tanks.
The one first tank and the plurality of second tanks are arranged side by side in the left-right direction.
And the lateral direction of the spacing of the said outlet and the said outlet of the second tank of the first tank to adjacent two of the above described left-right direction between the outlet of the second tank adjacent is the same The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and
With the above liquid consumption part
A liquid consuming device including a connected portion to which the tank is connected, one end communicating with the outlet and the other end communicating with the liquid consuming portion. The liquid consuming device according to claim 7, wherein the tank protrudes from the housing of the tank, has an outlet formed at the tip thereof, and has a protruding portion connected to the connected portion. The upper Symbol first tank and the second tank are arranged side by side in the lateral direction,
The liquid consuming device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the second tank is arranged closer to the liquid consuming unit than the first tank in the left-right direction.

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